Unofficial news and tips about Google

December 6, 2007

Google Mobile Updater for Blackberry

Google Mobile Updater. What could that be? After all, Google doesn't have too many mobile apps. Maybe there's some connection with the desktop updater included in Google Pack. Let's see.

"Google Mobile Updater is a free download, currently only for BlackBerry users, that lets you install and update Google Mobile services. Google Mobile Updater will keep you notified of new Google Mobile services as well as updates to installed applications. This way, you can be sure to have the most current version of your favorite Google Mobile applications when you are on the go." (Google Support)

Apparently, to get one you need to go to mobile.google.com and click on "Get Google's mobile products in a single download". But what Google products? Search, Maps, Gmail, News, Picasa, and Reader.

While Gmail and Maps are already available as mobile apps for most phones, it's not clear what you can expect from the rest of the services and if they're more than simple links to Google's mobile sites. So if you have a Blackberry and you want to finish this post, please do.

It's apparently all that it says it is - an Updater app for BlackBerry devices. I've currently got the Curve 8320 and had to previously do a manual search for any updates to Google's software on my device. I tried installing the app - here's what happened..

After installing and accepting the license, a new icon for "Google Mobile Updater" was put on my desktop. I opened up the app and was shown that GMaps, Gmail and Mobile Updater are all installed, with current versions. The app immediately began searching for updates and new products.

Once the search was over, I found that my copy of GMail is apparently an old version, and Search, News, GDocs, and Picasa are all not installed. For some reason, the app is not seeing that I have GTalk installed. Hmm.

Selecting "Update" for Gmail had the app attempt to download the newest version (without calling BlackBerry's browser to do so!) and install. However, my download failed, probably due to my network connection inside my office building or a pounding on the servers. I'll keep trying and post any updates.

When you run the application, it checks against Google's servers to see what the most recent version is. Once it has updated itself, you'll get the option to Install All apps, or install them individually. Most of the "apps" are just shortcuts to open the webpages. Real apps include GMail for Mobile and Google Maps for Mobile. There's also a Google Search app which launches the browser to display the search results.

My first launch of Google Reader failed on my new 8820, but I did use it previously on the 7250, so I'm not sure what's going on there (haven't tried again on the new one).

There's also a Google Docs shortcut which takes you to the new version of Google Docs for mobile.

mr. pants wrote: For some reason, the app is not seeing that I have GTalk installed. Hmm.

GTalk for BlackBerry is not exactly Google's mobile app. I installed it from BlackBerry's website and not Google.com. Google does not even show GTalk on its mobile products page: http://www.google.com/m/products.

Looks like Google is ignoring GTalk not just on the desktop, but also on the mobile phone.

I bought the farm the other day and moved everything from Outlook to my Google Calendar. I couldn't get it to sync up to my Blackberry calendar until tonight, when I downloaded the new Sync from Google. Works well for me.

However, I lose the feature in google calendar that both impressed and annoyed me- the Map feature under the location. Seems brilliant. But the calendar it produces is a little under one square inch, and completely useless. Anyone else have this issue or find a way around it?

Does anyone know how to sync my Blackberry Calendar with one of my NON DEFAULT google calendars? It seems that the google sync mobile software that google recently created, only syncs with the Default Calendar.

Freaking Amazing! Thank you GOOGLE FOR SAVING MY SANITY! I have been fighting with opensync-0.22 packages, libusb-4.4.5 and barry-0.11 for Linux (debian flavor). I am using Sunbird for two way communication with my laptop to Google. So now I can make entries in Sunbird which update my online Google Calender and sync with this handy little tool to my Blackberry. FANTASTIC AND A POWERFUL TOOL! I now have complete synchronism between my e-mail client (Evolution-it can read my online google calender), my desktop calender (Sunbird-I make all edits here and do not have to log into Google, this instantly updates my calender on Google and my website), and now thanks to this tool for my Blackberry I can update my calender in my Blackberry! I am set!

I downloaded it to my 8700c and had no problem. Maps works great...I was able to search a route for a customer an hour and a half while I was on the road. It showed me the route and was able to show me my approx. location within 1700meters of my location.